I’ve been in communication with many other bloggers and progressive activists about various aspects of the primary race. It’s always been helpful to me to bounce ideas off of others and just check my gut reactions before I start blogging about a subject. As you might imagine, the media storm over Barack Obama’s relationship to Rev. Jeremiah Wright has resulted in a flurry of emails back and forth. One of the most thoughtful emails I got was from Jeff Sharlet, author of the upcoming book The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, and I asked and received his permission to share it with you:
In contextualizing Jeremiah Wright’s “God damn America,” it might be worth remembering another Jeremiah who expressed similar sentiments: namely, Jeremiah. As in, the prophet of the Hebrew Bible, or the “Old Testament,” if you prefer.
Why does that matter? Because it reminds us that a core function of one who attempts to speak in a prophetic voice is to remind us that we are in this together and that we’ll both prosper and suffer together. Many evangelical Christians speak of a “gift of discernment,” not unlike the “gift of tongues.” Us democratically-minded folk might do well to remember that that core concept of a democracy is that we all have some gift of discernment. So let’s use ours and consider the prophetic statements on offer:
1. Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson said America is damned — cursed by God, though not permanently — because we tolerate feminists and queer people.
2. John Hagee says America is damned — cursed by God, though not permanently — because we tolerate Muslims.
3. Jeremiah Wright says America is damned — cursed by God, though not permanently, suffering from hate and division, from bitterness and envy — because we succumb to hating one another.
For my money, my Bible, and my democracy, that last sentiment has the ring of truth, and I’m not even a religious man.
That doesn’t mean it’s a sentiment for a campaign trail. But it does mean that in framing this, we might want to turn our anger toward Fox and the NY Post and all those denouncing Jeremiah Wright rather than the man who says we suffer because of racism. Here is a pastor trying, perhaps not successfully, to preach accountability for hate, not for tolerance. And here is a media that is demanding that we NOT be held accountable for hate.
That is, mainstream media is telling us we must tolerate hate — Hagee — but not those who don’t believe we should tolerate hate — Wright.
Jeremiah Wright’s words were harsh, as were Jeremiah’s. As were Martin Luther King’s — “I have a dream” wasn’t his only speech, and he died holding America accountable for the war in Vietnam and the war against the poor at home. That’s not left, that’s not right, that’s not “racial,” that’s not “post-racial.” It’s prophetic. The Right’s screeching, meanwhile, is simply pathetic.
You can learn more about Jeff’s book on his blog, The Revealer. Diana Butler Bass at BeliefNet also wrote a very compelling piece that I hope puts to rest the accusation of hate in Rev. Wright’s sermons:
The current media flap over the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama’s former pastor, strikes me as nothing short of strange. Anyone who attends church on a regular basis knows how frequently congregants disagree with their ministers. To sit in a pew is not necessarily assent to a message preached on a particular day. Being a church member is not some sort of mindless cult, where individuals believe every word preached. Rather, being a church member means being part of a community of faith—a gathered people, always diverse and sometimes at odds, who constitute Christ’s body in the world.
But the attack on Rev. Wright reveals something beyond ignorance of basic dynamics of Christian community. It demonstrates the level of misunderstanding that still divides white and black Christians in the United States. Many white people find the traditions of African-American preaching offensive, especially when it comes to politics.
I know because I am one of those white people. My first sustained encounter with African-American preaching came in graduate school about twenty years ago. I had been assigned as a teaching assistant to a course in Black Church Studies. The placement surprised me, since I had no background in the subject. But the professor assured me that “anyone with experience teaching American religion” would be able to handle the load.
The subject matter was not, as the professor indicated, difficult. The emotional content, however, was. To prepare, I had to read literally thousands of pages of black preaching and theology covering the entire scope of American history. While the particulars of preaching changed through time, one thing did not. Throughout the entire corpus, black Christian leaders leveled a devastating critique against their white brothers and sisters—accusing white Christians of maintaining “ease in Zion” while allowing black people to suffer injustice and oppression.
Typical of the form used by black preachers is Frederick Douglass’ address, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” first delivered on July 5, 1852. The address, a political sermon, forcefully attacks white culture. “Fellow-citizens,” Douglass proclaims, “above your national, tumultuous joy, I hear the mournful wails of millions! Whose chains, heavy and grievous yesterday, are, today, rendered more intolerable by the jubilee shouts that reach them.” He goes on to calls American conduct “hideous and revolting” and accuses white Christians of trampling upon and disregarding both the constitution and the Bible. He concluded his sermon with the words, “For revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival.”
This was very hard to take. I confess: nearly everything I read that semester pained and angered me. But four months of listening to voices that I wanted to reject made me different. I began to hear the power of the critique. I came to appreciate the prophetic nature of black preaching. I recognized that these voices emerged from a very distinct historical experience. And I admired the narrative interplay between the Bible and social justice. Over time, they taught me to hear the Gospel from an angular perspective—the angle of slaves, freed blacks, of those who feared lynching, of those who longed for Africa, those who could not attend good schools. From them, I learned that liberation through Jesus was a powerful thing. And that white Americans really did need to repent when it came to race.
Learning to listen was not easy. It took patience, historical imagination, and lots of complaining to my friends—even my African-American ones. Eventually, I figured out that even if your ancestors had been the oppressors, you can enter into the world of those who had been oppressed with generosity and a heart open to transformation.
As MSNBC, CNN, and FOX endlessly play the tape of Rev. Wright’s “radical” sermons today, I do not hear the words of a “dangerous” preacher (at least any more dangerous than any preacher who takes the Gospel seriously!) No, I hear the long tradition that Jeremiah Wright has inherited from his ancestors. I hear prophetic critique. I hear Frederick Douglass. And, mostly, I hear the Gospel slant—I hear it from an angle that is not natural to me. It is good to hear that slant.
No Trackbacks To “Remembering another Jeremiah“
That was the most beautiful explanation I’ve heard. I mean, I got what Wright was saying, but it sure scared the pants off a lotta white folks didn’t it?
Why would a campaign have a religious adviser anyway?
Amen!
There can be no rational argument without agreement as to language.
“Contextualize”?
The modern and worthless attempt to turn nouns into verbs.
If language is lost, logic is lost.
Then it’s anarchy, every person for him/herself, the most powerful and connected win.
It’s really simple. In context, Rev. Wright said 1) nothing that is factually wrong, and 2) nothing that is that out of step with the way a lot of black people feel right now. White ones, too. He can preach to his choir all he wants.
And we also need to keep this in mind: to paraphrase Geraldine Ferraro, if Obama and Wright were not black, the wingnuts would not be jumping all over this. All you have to do is look at their silence over McCain’s hateful friends.
New topic, please. Something that MATTERS.
This was move-to-tears beautiful. Thanks so much.
You can spin this all you want. But the fact that Obama returned to listen to this fanatic preacher more than once or twice… hell for 20 years… is very damning. Not a temporary damning by “god”. No, likely a final damning by the Amercan voters.
This is why separation of church and state is so important
Thanks for posting this. It’s a keeper. Unfortunately, I believe Jeff Sharlet’s level of understanding, reasoning and comparison may be lost on the typical voter, who seems to have an attention span of about 30 seconds, and sees the entire world in terms of good vs. evil, with nothing between the two.
“…we might want to turn our anger toward Fox and the NY Post and all those denouncing Jeremiah Wright rather than the man who says we suffer because of racism. Here is a pastor trying, perhaps not successfully, to preach accountability for hate, not for tolerance. And here is a media that is demanding that we NOT be held accountable for hate.”
Sanity at last. The tide is turning. Someone at Daily Kos also stands up for the guy:
The purpose of a good sermon isn’t to placate, ease, and make people comfortable. A dangerous religion isn’t one that challenges people and makes them squirm. Makes them angry. A dangerous religion is one that is too amicable to what you already think, one that pats you on the head and sends you forth in assurance of your own righteousness. If you want to search for “traitors” in the pulpit, turn your eye toward those who never find anything wrong in the actions of this nation.
GoodGod @ 7:
For God’s sake, can’t you absorb anything beyond the political babbling in your own head?
Thank you.
“Obama’s Church Accuses Media Of Character Assassination”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....91767.html
RE “John Hagee says America is damned — cursed by God, though not permanently — because we tolerate Muslims.”
Link?
I comment seldom, but I feel compelled to say that this post needs a very wide distribution. As in spread the Gospel.
I listened to repeated presentations of Wright’s video clips and I could not find anything to disagree with.
This is a great post and I give great thanks.
There’s that nasty double standard again. Up is down, black is white, peace is war. Idiots.
GoodGod @ 7:
Really? Because why? Because you say so? And what information do you have regarding the sermons this minister has preached for 20 years that leads you to believe they were all fanatical? I assume you weren’t there to hear this minister or to know anything about his relationship with his congregation otherwise you would also be “damned”. And the information in this thread was not “spin”, it was factual. Are you really able to discount those facts?
Let’s not forget the most famous Jeremiah: The Bullfrog.
This is the most important thing he said. One must surrender one’s presumptions and preconceptions, deal with the discomfort of guilt perhaps, and begin to listen to others who welcome you into their fellowship.
It’s a mutual effort.
All well and good. I even agree with much of what the Rev. says. But do you really think this plays in the heartland? And, more important for me, do I want my children to hear something like this? It sounds like hate. So, let us understand this: as long as the unvarnished hate is coming from an African-American leftist clergyman, and not some conservative-Republican type evangelist, it’s ok? I’m just really confused. I think hate, in any form, especially using the name of Jesus, is . . . well, just that, hate.
GoodGod @ 7:
Spin what? That all religion is a fairy tail told to scare children and control the adults? That Pat Robertson, John Hagee, Jerry Falwell, and many many other religious Republican backers have said much more and much worse but they were not scary black people. Spin what!!??
Good God stop trying to justify this type of hateful garbage.
If you really want to have a look at some hate speech, check out this site:
http://www.hatecrime.org/subpa...../hate.html
http://www.hatecrime.org/subpa...../hate.html
All the usual suspects, with links.
(Yes. I’m posting it yet again.)
I was incensed over this language when I first heard it.
However, I watched and listened to Wright’s sermons over and over…and I pretty much now understand what he’s saying, and I agree with him. Damn me all you want.
I grew up in Detroit, and as a kid, was disappointed at some point to realize I wasn’t black. :) My black friends and their families were more genuine, more generous, and far more tolerant than my white friends. I would walk through what today would seem like the seediest of black neighborhoods…and I would feel perfectly safe.
I think blacks taught me to judge others based on what I feel is inside, not what I see and hear on the outside. This is why I have a very difficult time comprehending how people can judge others based on the color of their skin.
We have a lot to learn from the black culture, and firey language is just the tip of the iceberg.
I mean….listen to Wright’s sermon again and ask yourself: Which church would you rather attend? One that forces you to think or one that politely states the obvious?
I’ll take the former.
I could not have said it any better. Wish I had said it nearly as well. (From the pulpit this morning, that is.)
Thank you. Thank you so much! The demonization and distortion of Jerimiah Wright has been a personally painful matter for me. I have attended the church, have received support for my community projects that have benefitted all citizens in Chicago from Reverend Wright - an act of generosity I will never forget- because of the unwarranted resistance I received. Barak’s got to do what Barak’s got to do.Even if he offered thorough and reasoned arguments for maintaining his church membership and his association with Reverend Wright, it wouldn’t make a damn bit of difference anyway. With our eyes on the White House, he’s got to play to the wise and the ignorant alike. I have lived long enough to remember how people spoke of Martin Luther King. He was called a rabble-rouser, a pimp and he was loathed by many in the clergy. His “mountain top” speech was delivered during a midnight vigil in a church that was surrounded by an angry white mob bent on killing the people inside and the civil rights movement. For African-Americans, politics and religion had to conflate. If you ever visit Chicago, I challenge everyone reading this to visit Trinity United Church of Christ on 95th Street on the South Side. No matter what your color (and there are white members of the congregation) you will find a warm welcome. You will find that what these monstrous and shallow media pundits and opposing operatives have done a shameful thing. I greatly appreciate your thoughtful analysis.
This whole Rev. Wright brouhaha was starting to get to me, because Reverend Huckabee was well-known for his cringe-worthy statements (one of my favorites was about how wives must submit to their husbands, shaddup in church, etc.) — so if the all-hallowed mass media can swallow that sort of God-Swill, what is the big deal about Rev. Wright preaching liberation theology?
It does go to show that if some religious purveyors get a pass, then maybe the whole subject should just fall under freedom of speech/expression, whatever. Sick!
Edwin Hussein (not a scary black Reverend) @ 22:
You need to check this out
http://cjonline.com/stories/03.....6797.shtml
Is the opposition (Hillary and McCain) attacking a Christian minister fundamentally a good idea? Think about it.
No. 44 @ 10:
I agree with “Someone”. As a believing Christian, I am disgusted by what is paraded as Christianity in this country today. Too much finger pointing and self-righteousness. If any of them had ever read their Bibles they would be looking at their own (many) faults and be consumed with working on those - not calling others out as “sinners”. But your average church now gives a hearty “God bless the USA and the Republican party” with that pat on the head and “you’re OK” sermon. I do believe that is part of what got us into this mess we’re in now. We don’t have a separation of church and state in reality, and I’m not sure I like the ‘church’ that I’m getting with my ’state’.
There appear to be a lot of people on this site who need to read some Howard Zinn. Man, some of you are as dense as a Republican.
The Obamazoids have lost their critical minds, just like the right-wing Kool-Aid drinkers. Your inability to assess the reality of the situation is going to lead to a McCain win. Until the truth behind Obama’s “mentor” pastor surfaced, I was supportive of Obama. But I won’t support a candidate that will inadvertantly lead us into oblivion.
Same hate, different players. Clinton of McCain have never been 20 year parisheners at pro-whitey blame the black man churches, have they? The excuses and backtracking are quite exponential here.
The right must denigrate and silence the Jeremiah Wrights of the world, because when a Black Man speaks truth to power without fear, without compromise, and without promoting a “counter-hate” that serves to feed their racist agenda, they feel threatened, because they ARE threatened.
I tried to point out to one self-described “Liberal” who went off on a Wingnut-style tirade, mostly because he thought it might help his preferred candidate, that there was not anything factually wrong about what the man said, that JW said it, NOT BO, and his seniments are far less objectionable than the poison the pours from that open sewer that passes for Rev Hagee’s mouth. Yet, the Republican gleefully accepts that bigot’s “endorsement” with gratitude, and there is barely a ripple of concern expressed.
But there advantage to one’s Primary agenda in calling attention to the real offenders over in the other party. Scorched earth is no obstacle - let’s blow this thing up and pretend to wring our hands over it, amplifying and legitimizing it in a way that lends credibility to the concept that “this” is an issue worth altering a vote over. Better to hand the election to the Republicans and their bigoted, murderous war-profiting political base in a Kamikaze-style charge for “victory” in the primary, than to risk the possibility that sticking to principle and what is important might fail to disrupt Obama’s path to the nomination.
I expect this kind of idiotic posturing from most of the media. It is what they do. It is all they know HOW to do. But watching half of the so-called “liberal” base join in turns my stomach.
GoodGod,
Go jump in a lake.
What this country needs is a good dose of “A Man’s A Man For A’ That” by Rabbie Burns.
No–make that an enema thereof.
Sharkcellar @ 34:
If McCain wins the GE, I’ll be the first to do so.
The media is trying to whip this into a frenzy until they actually see heads rolling over this. I knew some of the fundamentalist preachers had used similar language so it’s great to see the facts regarding that.
Even Randi Rhodes was all in a tizzy on Friday saying that no child should be subjected to such language. Well, she’d better also campaign that t.v. should be turned off in every home that has a child living in it because I hear questionable language even on the family channel.
I admit to wishing he had thought once, twice, twenty times about what the upshot of using certain inflammatory words would be. However, the gist of what he was saying resonates and resonates especially with minorities. If the media is able to pull the strings on this enough to finally get the knee-jerk reaction they want from the public about this, then I give up. The media refused to get excited about or even report on what some of the churches were pulling during the 2004 campaign. That had a much more far-reaching effect than this should ever have. Pitiful.
Why do Christians continually make the mental jump from worshiping a God who made the heavens and the earth and all living things - to a God who made man made boundaries, (to be fought over) governments (to be fought over) and the host of man made things that have no soul and no life and cannot be saved or converted of forgiven
or damned.
And since when has any born-in-sin human, except Jesus, (if you believe in Christianity) have the red phone to God to know who God is actually condemning? Not even Jesus stood on the Mount and pointed to this that and the other and said GDs you, and GDs that, and GDs the Roman Government and its coinage, etc.
Jesus gave us the above mentioned beatitude, when he stood on the Mount.
GoodGod @ 31:
So, you are walking away from Hillary?
I’ve made this comment before, but it bears repeating. I was personally offended when I watched the chattering class led by Anderson Cooper and his four pundits discussing the Rev. Wright flap. One of the pundits was Tony Perkins, and I was astonished to hear him attack Obama through Wright and then use the bible to frame his clearly ideological bias. He pointed out that Romans 13 calls Christians to pray for America not attack it. I found this selective argument revealing, since the entire basis of the OT prophets was to blast and rail against the jewish leaders that had strayed from the Word of God. They were attempting to change indifferent behavior to those things God cares about–caring for the orphan and widow. And in most instances, the prophets were killed for their efforts.
The outrage expressed on Fox when Rev. Wright said, “God DAMN America” for creating a system whereby blacks experienced greater injustice than whites is pretty tame stuff when compared to what some of the prophets of OT scripture ascribed to Israel.
The prophet Ezekiel compared idolatrous Israel to a whore that has become insatiable (read in the manner of Catherine the Great):
Ezekiel 23:
I suspect many have not heard this passage taught in church, but it’s pretty typical stuff for the vitriolic passion of the prophets castigating a wayward Israel. Even if the metaphor used is a whore with an appetite for well-endowed men.
So, this selective outrage by the right wing betrays a fundamental lack of understanding of the prophetic voice and the manner by which it seeks to awaken its hearer’s conscience. It also conflates the nationalistic impulse with the Christian one. A church that is honest to the Word of God, isn’t one that drapes itself in the American flag. This sort of misplaced allegiance would bear comparison to the sort of idolatry condemned in the Christian bible.
I’ve listened to Reverend Wright’s sermons. While I think the ones played on endless video loop like the “Dean Scream” were over the top, they were always based in Christian scripture. You may not like his tone, but he has a point.
For example, when Reverend Wr